KBC All State Youth Choir

The Kentucky Baptist Convention recently held its week long All State Youth Choir performances. The KBC chooses 80 teenagers from across the state of KY to form the All State Choir, and then those teenagers attend a retreat to learn the songs, followed by a "whirlwind tour singing at Kentucky Baptist churches under the direction of a guest conductor." Two of my teenagers from Graefenburg tried out and made the choir this year, which was wonderful. I attended a performance in Lawrenceburg, KY and was sincerely moved to worship. This year, the All State Choir and All State Orchestra combined forces and toured together, making a powerful 1-2 punch of over 120 talented teenagers from across the state.

There was only one problem. From where I was sitting, all 120 teenagers came from only one racial type. Caucasian.

However this plays out, it is problematic. There are two main possibilities. The first possibility is that differing racial types were accounted for at try-outs and somehow out of a field of 120 teenagers, those judging the try-outs did not find a single race other than Caucasian which had the talent to sing and play instruments. That doesn't seem likely. The second possibility, and the one I am most fearful of, is that no races other than Caucasian tried out for the choir. Obviously, the judges are not capable of picking anyone who did not try out. If this second possibility is correct, then we have to take a serious look at the churches that make up the KBC and possibly on up the chain to the SBC and ask ourselves the question, "how serious are we about our pledge to take 'All The Gospel to All The People?'" If no other races were represented at try outs for a state wide choir, then what a sad moment for the KBC.

I have sent a letter to the director of worship for the KBC. When and if I receive a response, I will let you know.